Barium

History

  • Barium was first discovered in 1774 by Carl Scheele from Sweden
  • Barium was first extracted in 1808 by Sir Humphry Davy from England

Basic Facts

  • Barium symbol is Ba.
  • It's atomic number is 56.
  • Barium has an Average Atomic Mass of 137.33, so it most commonly has 77 neutrons.
  • Barium is never found in its purest from because it is highly reactive with air.
  • It is highly reactive because its is in group 2A and Oxygen is in group 6A, through Ionic bonding Barium Oxide is formed, with the Barium cation having a charge of 2-.
  • Barium is in period 6.
  • When not in its purest form, Barium is found most commonly as a solid.
  • Barium is rare but not extremely rare/
  • Barium has 22 isotopes, 7 are stable. and 15 are radioactive.
  • Barium comes from the Greek word "Bary" meaning heavy.
  • Barium is a metal.
Uses:
Barium is not used by itself, but its compounds have many different uses. Bariums compound's uses are:
  • The Petroleum Industry
  • Rat Poison
  • X-Rays of the Digestive System
  • Bricks
  • Coating of Fluorescent Lights
  • Glass Making
  • Rubber
  • Gamma Ray Detectors
  • Batteries in "Next Generation" Energy Efficient Cars
  • And most famously, The Green Color in Fireworks
All of Barium's compounds are extremely poisonous.

Properties

  • Has a freezing point of 727°C (1000K)
  • Has a boiling point of 1897°C (2170K)
  • Has a silvery white color
  • Has a slightly shiny appearance

Jing Screencast

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Again Jing didn't work, hopefully I'll be able to complete this tomorrow.

Bibliography

"Barium." Wikipedia. 15 Nov. 2008. 12 Nov. 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Barium>. Wikipedia's description of Barium with sources to back it up.
"Barium." Enclycopedia Britanica. 2000. Encyclopedia Britanica's article about
Barium